When Time Stops
by henriettayuki
Summary: After Owen asks Toshiko on a date, time stops and rewrites.
1. Chapter 1

I'm sorry this took so long to finish. The fandom changed so much after CoE. But I finished! I hope you enjoy it. Reviews are appreciated.

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Owen Harper glanced at his workmate as he walked up from his laboratory. He pulled his gloves off with a wet snap. Toshiko Sato was focused on her computers; her quick taps on her keyboard filled the otherwise silent room. Owen threw away his gloves and cautiously approached her.

"What you working on, Tosh?" he asked looking at the screens over her shoulder. They were filled with images and codes to something that even Owen and his doctrine degree did not understand. Toshiko glanced at him over her glasses before turning back to her screens.

"Jack has me working on a new project. I'll probably be here until morning," she lamented as she returned to her typing.

"Well…" Owen trailed off before tapped his hand on the desk in thought. He thought about offering her some help but really what could he do to help her? Make tea? He was not Ianto.

Instead he smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Toshiko nodded but did not look toward him or stop typing. Owen shrugged his lab coat off and threw his leather jacket over his shoulder. He watched her, seeing if she would respond. Nothing. He nodded then exited the pressurized door, not noticing Toshiko turning as he left. She watched the door close behind him as he took the steps two at a time. She sighed and returned to her work.


	2. Chapter 2

Owen took a deep breath of the salty bay air. It was a rare sunny day in Cardiff, sunny in the sense that the sun peaked from between the clouds just enough to make it nice for a walk. He pushed his hands deep into his jacket pockets then paused. Toshiko sat alone. She held a sandwich in one hand and a book in the other. Her mouth was open, poised to take another bite of her lunch, but she had forgotten it and everything around her as she read. Her eyes scanned the page quickly in suspense. Toshiko gasped and Owen chuckled, bringing her back to reality.

"Owen?" she asked, lowering both her book and sandwich. "What are you doing out here?"

"Doing what everyone else is doing. Enjoying the nice weather," he shrugged. "What're you reading?" She shoved her book back into her bag.

"Nothing. So what do you want?" Owen forced a smile. He was a little surprised that she was so hostile to his appearance.

"Do I need to want something just to say 'hi'?" he asked.

"With you? Yes," Toshiko replied and then smiled. She took a bite of her sandwich.

"Want to take a walk?" Toshiko looked up with a bite of her sandwich in her cheek. Owen chuckled and then looked away. She finished the bite in her mouth and tried to pack the rest away.

"Mind if I take a half?" Owen asked. Toshiko looked hesitant then nodded. She held out her tupperware with an untouched half beside the side she had been eating.

"Sure. It's just ham and cheese," she warned. Owen smiled and took half of the remaining sandwich.

"Better than the chips I was going to go get," Owen joked.

"Better or cheaper?" Toshiko replied as she looked out toward the bay. Owen took a bite of the sandwich and looked out with her.

"It's not often we get to see the sun," Owen stated, looking out across the bay. It looked warm in the sun; almost beckoning people to swim in its cold water.

"It's true," Toshiko conceded. "We spend too much time in the dank sewers and poorly wired warehouses. I feel so clean and new out here in the sun, right after the rain." Owen nodded.

"I know," Owen agreed. Toshiko smiled and looked at him.

"Yeah, right. I think more than a sunny day is required to clean you up," she joked. Owen chuckled and finished off his half of the sandwich. Toshiko slowly ate at her half as they stood in silence.

Toshiko thought about telling Owen about the book she had been reading but stayed silent and kept to herself. It was bad enough everyone thought her sorry lonely life revolved around her computers and books; she did not need to prove them correct.

Owen on the other hand did not notice Toshiko's inner turmoil. He thought she looked pensive and just as she said, clean and new in the rare sun flickers. He wanted to say something to break the silence but at the same time there was nothing wrong with it.

"Hey, Tosh, how about we go to dinner some time?" Owen asked, turning away from her and looking into the clouds in the distance. The sunlight wasn't going to last long, he thought. Toshiko looked to him wondering if it was a joke. "Nothing fancy." Toshiko nodded.

"Of course not." Toshiko gripped the railing.

"Was that a yes?"

"Guess it is?" Toshiko replied hesitantly, not sure what reply Owen was looking for. Owen looked at Toshiko before giving an awkward almost grimacing half smile.

"Well, that's that." Toshiko felt her palms growing sweaty against the railing under his gaze. "Yeah...well I better get back," he muttered.

"Right," Toshiko agreed. Owen turned away from her. Toshiko bit her lip unsure if she wanted this or not. Well…regardless, it was not anything to get too worked up over, she told herself.

Owen shoved his hands into his pockets, walking away, not completely convinced that he had just asked Toshiko out on a date. He turned around and caught her looking at him blankly. She gave him a little wave and a small smile. He nodded his head in return before they both turned away.


	3. Chapter 3

Toshiko awoke on her back. The ceiling above her was a bright white. She looked around the room suspiciously before recognizing it as her own. But something was wrong. She could not place what had changed but in the pit of her stomach she felt sick. She sat up and hung her feet over the side of her bed. Fancy heels. Why was she wearing her fancy heels? There were no runs in her nylons either. Very fancy. She sighed and pushed herself to her feet.

There was a haze around her head. With one hand pressed to her forehead, Toshiko stumbled toward the kitchen. She pulled open the fridge door harder than she had planned and nearly fell back. Her hands gripped at the handles to steady herself while looking around the shelves. She pulled a carton of yogurt from the door and pulled off the lid. Licking it, she kicked the door behind her with her foot while also pulling a spoon from the drawer. Toshiko dropped onto an ottoman and slowly started eating her yogurt.

She felt drunk. Had she been drinking? She could not remember dressing herself or even coming home. That strange feeling in her stomach only intensified as she ate her yogurt. The strange thing about it was, this feeling, it was like it had always been there, like a slight cold that was forgettable on an exciting day but came back in full force after all the foolishness had ended. She remembered going to the Hub but had it been that morning? Yesterday? Days ago? She looked for the time and noticed she was wearing her expensive watch. Her date watch, to be exact. Toshiko pulled her sleeve back and tried to see straight. She tapped the face but the second hand remained still.

"Useless…" Toshiko muttered to herself, abandoning her yogurt to struggle with the broken timepiece. She pulled it off and left it on the table. Now…what had she been doing?

The doorbell buzzed loudly and it was like the haze suddenly disappeared. She stood up and the yogurt fell off the ottoman and splattered onto the floor.

"Shit," she muttered. The doorbell buzzed again. Persistent, she thought. Toshiko left the yogurt to answer the door. She looked out and saw Owen looking awkward in the hallway. She looked suspiciously at him through the door before turning the locks and opening it just enough not to be rude.

"Owen?" Owen looked her up and smiled.

"I said, six, yeah?" Toshiko looked at the hanging clock.

"Is it six?" The clock read six.

"Well, five after." Toshiko looked to Owen who was looking at his watch and then back to her hanging clock. She narrowed her eyes at it. It read five after six. Owen regarded Toshiko with thinly veiled annoyance. "Can I come in?" Toshiko nodded without taking her eyes off the clock.

"Yeah, sure." She opened the door and Owen made himself at home. Toshiko latched the door again but her eyes were still on the ticking hands. Her guest followed her glanced to the clock and then back to Toshiko.

"You all right?"

"Yeah." She looked at Owen and smiled. "Did something happen?" He looked nice. Well…she thought he always looked nice but especially so right now. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Um…our date?" Owen stated. "Hey, if you don't want to go through with it—"

"No! I mean, of course I do." She smiled. "Let me just grab my purse." Toshiko walked toward her room before turning hesitantly to glance over her shoulder. She did not remember agreeing to go on a date… Her purse sat neatly on the side of her bed. She grabbed it and looked in the mirror.

Well…maybe she did know she had a date because she looked pretty. Toshiko smiled shyly. She was going on a date with Owen! She giggled and then walked back to the living room. Owen was on his knee by the ottoman. Toshiko turned bright red as she saw him with a paper towel wiping up the spilt yogurt. He turned and smirked.

"You spilt yogurt." He threw the carton and paper towel in the trash.

"I was clumsy." He nodded.

"Right…Well since you did ask me out, did you have a place you wanted to go?" Toshiko looked at Owen curiously.

"I asked you?" she asked inquisitively. Owen's eyebrows knitted together.

"Yeah…Are you—"

"I'm fine!" Toshiko insisted and smiled brightly. "You pick the place. I mean…if you made me ask." Owen grinned and winked at her.

"Right." Toshiko followed Owen out and smiled brightly. She wasn't sure how she gave herself the courage to ask Owen on a date but she was glad she had. Just staring at his back made her stomach feel less agitated.

They walked to the lift keeping to themselves. Neither made an effort to make small talk as they waited inside and Toshiko felt unsure of herself. She watched the numbers descend and glanced at Owen from the corner of her eyes but he kept his eyes forward. He didn't even look like he was enjoying himself and they were only in the lift! Toshiko licked her lips and turned to him. She opened her mouth as the doors opened and Owen walked out without waiting. She followed him out of the lobby and into the cold Cardiff air.

"Oh!" Toshiko exclaimed and grabbed her arms. Owen stopped and looked at her over his shoulder. "I think I'm going to run back up to grab a jacket!"

"Come on, we'll be late." Owen walked back as he shrugged off his leather coat. He draped it over Toshiko's shoulders. It smelled of cologne or aftershave. He put his arm around her waist and led her down the street. Toshiko smiled as she felt the comfortable press of his hand on her hip.

"You said we'll be late? For what?" Toshiko asked, looking up to Owen, holding the front of his jacket closed with one hand.

"How long has it been since you've been on a date, Tosh? The good places fill up pretty early and from there it's just shit." Toshiko bit her lip.

"So you're taking me to a good place?" she asked keeping optimistic.

"Only the best," Owen replied and pressed on his car remote. He opened the door for her. "Miss Sato." Toshiko slid into the passenger seat and smiled brightly. Owen shut the door as she pulled down the seatbelt.

"Do I get a hint to where we are going?" Toshiko asked, turning to Owen eagerly. Owen buckled and turned the car on.

"Where's the fun in that?" Toshiko only had time to see Owen smile before she was thrown back into the seat. She gripped the chair and it was a normal drive with Owen at the wheel. "Do you drive, Toshiko?"

"I do. But not here. There's no point in the city."

"Well there's outside of the city," Owen countered as he weaved around a slower car.

"But then I couldn't have this terrifying experience, now could I?" Owen looked to Toshiko and smiled.

"That's an answer I like to hear." He threw the car into a higher gear and sped up. He grinned as he watched the fear and excitement trying to be contained in Toshiko's face.

It did not take long at their speed to arrive at the restaurant Owen had picked. Toshiko felt a little underdressed as they entered the restaurant but she did notice that she was better dressed than Owen as he walked up to the maitre d'. She nervously took off Owen's jacket and folded it over her arms and waited. Owen walked back smiling.

"Come on." He offered her his arm and Toshiko gladly took it with a smile.

Shortly after the entrées arrived, Owen excused himself to the toilet. Toshiko stared out into the street, sipping her drink. She never thought she could be so happy. This dinner, their first actually recognized date, was everything she had dreamed it would be and more. She looked at her wrist before remembering that she had left her watch at home. She pulled her mobile from her purse. No missed calls. She was grateful that Cardiff, The Rift, Time and Space had all decided to be quiet long enough for her to enjoy her night with Owen. Owen Harper. She felt like a teenager as she looked at the time. Five after six. She frowned.

"Planning an escape route?" Owen asked and Toshiko looked up still frowning. He stopped smiling. "Just kidding, Tosh."

"What time do you have?"

"Half past eight."

"You didn't even look!" Owen sat down.

"Cause I just asked that kid as I was leaving the toilet, alright?"

"Just check it."

"I can't. I left my mobile in the car." Toshiko gave Owen a disapproving glare. "What? I did." Toshiko looked at her mobile again. It read half past eight. She looked at Owen then placed it back in her bag. "What's the big deal?"

"Nothing…" Toshiko insisted then looked at Owen curiously. "Why don't you have your mobile on you?" Owen shrugged and sipped from his wine glass.

"I don't bring it on dates unless I'm hoping for an out." He grinned. "Why do you think you guys can never get a hold of me?" Toshiko blushed. She had always been hurt when Owen didn't answer her calls from Torchwood but now that she was here and not in the Hub she was thankful.

"So how's your fish?" Owen asked, breaking Toshiko from her thoughts.

"Very tasty. Want to try some?" Owen chuckled and gave Toshiko a grin.

"You don't do that at this kind of restaurant." Toshiko raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Do what?" Owen smiled.

"Share dinner plates."

"I wasn't asking to share; I asked if you wanted to try some. And there's no rule against tasting from other people's dishes. Not if they are at your table at least."

"Well at least you know where to draw the line." Toshiko grinned at Owen's cheeky remark before grabbing her fork and stealing a slice of his beef. "Miss Sato!" Owen gasped in mock shock. She put the fork in her mouth and smiled. "No class." Owen shook his head.

"That's quite good!" She went to take another slice but Owen pulled his plate just out of reach.

"That's my dinner you're picking at!" Toshiko smiled and set her fork down. "That's more like it." Toshiko chuckled as she looked outside again. Owen quietly grabbed his fork and went in for a piece of fish off of Toshiko's plate but she had expected it. She yanked her plate away and Owen accidentally pushed the table a few inches causing it to squeak across the floor. A few nearby patrons looked over but his eyes were on Toshiko who was smiling back and keeping her plate by her head.

"Excuse me, are you finished, ma'am?" a waiter asked looking at Toshiko with an annoyed expression. Toshiko turned red and quickly put her plate down.

"No, sir. Still working," she replied softly and kept her eyes on her dish.

"Very well, ma'am." The waiter walked away and Owen chuckled.

"You know how to impress a dinner date, Tosh," he taunted but Toshiko just glared at him. "All because you didn't want to share." Owen picked up his plate and switched it with Toshiko's. "It must be some pretty good fish." Toshiko grinned as Owen took a bite of her fish and made a serious face like a food connoisseur. He made that face for a good minute before Toshiko laughed and looked away. "Not bad. Nothing to write home about. But you, Miss Sato, I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

"You're an ass, Owen."

"Still upset that I have your fish?" Toshiko grinned and picked at Owen's plate. Toshiko looked up to see Owen pick up his chair and move it next to Toshiko's.

"Owen? What are you—"

"So, Tosh, you never told me what you were reading earlier today," he stated as he ate from Toshiko's order.

"It was just a refresher textbook…" Toshiko replied knowing how uninteresting she must sound.

"Refresher on what?" Toshiko ate a little then turned to him.

"Current technology. Well not current for normal people but for Torchwood. It came through the Rift years ago but the translation took that long to decipher." Toshiko smiled. "Last year I finally found…I guess what you can call the Rosetta Stone for the right language and input it—" Toshiko clamed up. Owen looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing. What were you working on last night in the lab?"

"Wait, wait, finish what you were saying."

"Why? It's not interesting to you." Owen pointed his fork at Toshiko.

"Let me be the judge of that. Go on. You input it in your computer?" Owen stole a piece of his own steak.

"And it translated the book." Owen smiled at her.

"You're right. That was quite anticlimactic," he joked and Toshiko smiled. "I thought you were hiding another one of your Dickens novels." Toshiko rolled her eyes.

"I know you stole my copy of _The Tale of Two Cities_."

"I don't read that kind of dribble."

"Right…" Toshiko replied sarcastically knowing full well that Owen had stolen it. Owen looked at her and took another piece of his steak. He smiled and ate it. He winked at her and Toshiko smiled helping herself to her meal.

After dinner, Owen led Toshiko down the street for a walk. She kept one of her hands firmly on his arm and she dug through her purse with the other. She pulled out her mobile and frowned at it.

"What's with you and checking your mobile constantly? Are you expecting a call?" Owen asked.

"No…But it's weird. No one has paged us all night." Owen shrugged.

"No one usually does." Toshiko rolled her eyes.

"But I usually do. It doesn't make sense." Toshiko dialed Gwen's number and pressed the mobile to her ear as Owen sighed loudly. She lowered it. "It was busy."

"Maybe Rhys finally made her turn it off while they're having sex." Toshiko pulled away from Owen, truly offended.

"Don't be crude!"

"Oh come on. Get off it."

"Why do you have to be like this?" Owen rolled his eyes.

"Not fulfilling all your dreams, Miss Sato?" Owen seethed out and Toshiko looked away from him. She glanced at her mobile. Half past eight. Just like she thought. This time she dialed Jack. Owen sighed, completely done with the whole evening. Busy. She hung up and dialed Ianto. The Hub. Gwen's home number. Busy. Busy. Busy. Owen crossed his arms and waited for Toshiko to finish. She looked across the street and saw an open pizzeria with their number on the window where she could see inside clearly. She dialed. "What? All the cabs busy?" Owen mocked. She looked at him seriously as she lowered the mobile.

"How are all the numbers in Cardiff busy?" Owen rolled his eyes and took her phone. He dialed the number of the Chinese restaurant near his flat that he frequently ordered take out from. He looked at it as the number went busy.

"Your phone is on the fritz." Toshiko glared at him.

"Well then you try!" He tossed the phone back to her before jogging across the street to the pizzeria. Toshiko watched as he flashed one of his many fake badges and reached over the counter for the phone. He dialed and looked to Toshiko with a judgmental expression on his face. Toshiko looked at her mobile waiting for it to ring. She looked up again at Owen, watching as his face changed. He dropped the phone and ran out of the pizzeria.

"Tosh!" he screamed. Toshiko only had a moment to realize something was wrong before the sickness in her stomach that had disappeared with dinner, suddenly returned as a ripping pain.

"Ow—" His name was barely off her lips before everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Owen jerked out of bed. His heart was pounding against his chest and blood was rushing to his head. The clock read four AM. Taking slow breaths Owen turned to the window and was reassured by the familiar sight. The sky was dark but light streamed in from the city that in a few hours would be waking up. It was almost time for work.

Owen ran his hand through his sweat-wetted hair. The sheets around him pulled away. He turned to see a pretty redhead beside him. He stared at her exposed back as she twisted and pulled the sheets away. Owen turned on the bedside lamp and rubbed the palms of his hands against his eyes. He looked around. The room was familiar…but not. He could not place if he owned the room or if she did.

"Owen, love?" the woman muttered. She turned and rested her hand on his. "Is it time to go already?" Owen did not look at her. Under her hand he could see a golden band. He lifted his hand and stared at it with a panicking realization. It was wedding band. He swallowed hard.

"Yeah…" Owen muttered still staring at the golden band on his ring finger. It seemed so unremarkable for something so important. The woman looked up from her pillow with a sleepy smile.

"Come on, you're going to be late if you don't get up." She intertwined her fingers with his and kissed the corner of his mouth. She was pretty. But she could have been anyone. He could not remember her. She pushed him softly toward the edge of the bed and Owen climbed out, almost stumbling to his feet. He padded into the bathroom and turned on the light. Half blind, Owen turned on the shower and climbed in without waiting for it to heat up. The water was freezing and cleared his mind.

Married. Who would have thought? Owen rubbed his hands over his face. He never thought he would be married after… After who? Owen moved out of the water to lather shampoo into his hair. He could not explain the feeling that the mere thought of her provoked in his chest. It made his heart flutter but at the same time clenched at his throat as if he could not breathe. He searched his memories for her forgotten name, her face but everything felt fuzzy and painful like a hangover after a heavy night of drinking.

Suddenly Owen realized the air in his lungs was gone. He fell against the slick wall and tried to steady himself. The feeling in his chest and throat became painful. It felt like something was clawing at his chest, his face, his shoulders with rough skin and sharp claws. He could feel soft lips against his neck but between them, teeth. He slid down the wall trying to cling to the tile with his fingers. Owen gasped for air, trying to make the monster disappear. He could feel his eyelids close as air failed to enter his body.

"Owen!" Owen opened his eyes and coughed violently. He pressed his hand to his chest and spit up the shower water. It burned his throat as he coughed up the swallowed water.

"You're going to be late!" his pretty redhead called from the other room. The water was growing cold and Owen slowly regained his breath. He ran his hand through his hair and took in his surroundings. He washed off the remaining soap and stepped out of the shower. The steam was still thick in the bathroom but dissipated as he reentered the bedroom. Despite all of her calling, the pretty girl was still sound asleep in the bed. Owen made his way to the closet…their closet. He wheezed on the last water droplets in his throat and lungs while dressing with an uneasy feeling blanketing over him before heading downstairs to the kitchen.

After some searching, Owen grabbed a bit of toast and a cup of coffee. His ID lay beside an ornamental fruit bowl. He grabbed it and inspected it. Doctor Owen Harper. This seemed right. He pocketed and continued looking around. Neat and tidy. They did not have children. No, of course not, Owen assumed. No time. As he ate his toast, Owen fingered through the small stack of mail sitting on the counter. Mrs. Harper. A lot of bills for Mrs. Harper. He sighed. She must be draining him dry with these many bills. Glancing at the clock, Owen finished his meager breakfast and headed to work.

The GPS in his car led him to the hospital but once inside, Owen felt truly at home. This was familiar. Owen walked into the backroom with confidence and knew exactly where to grab his coat and his second cup of coffee for the morning. This felt comfortable. He pulled on his white coat and looked around the oddly familiar but strange setting.

"Cutting it close, love?" a nurse teased as she grabbed a medical chart. Owen smiled naturally at her.

"Can't help if the wife wants me first thing in the morning," Owen teased and the nurse turned pink around the ears.

"Yeah, right. He probably means that pretty redhead we saw him with last night," a doctor replied and winked at Owen. Owen hid his confusion behind his coffee mug. "Or that blond. I really don't see how you get such pretty girls half your age…Well we best get to it. We have people waiting to see the Great Owen Harper at work...in his actual profession. Sober and on time." The doctor smiled again.

"Barely," a nurse snorted. Before Owen could reply, he was given a stack of patient charts. He rolled his eyes and set down his coffee. Another day in the shop. He glanced through his first patients. Jack Harkness… That name sounded familiar. Owen looked through the chart and rolled his eyes. No…he could not know anyone this stupid. It was barely dawn and Doctor Owen Harper was heading out to help the sick and disgusting.

The day wore down on Owen like any proper day in the hospital and when the sun started to set, Owen clocked out knowing he was off rather than being told. He felt reassured again in the once unfamiliar setting. He felt in his gut that tonight he was probably going to have a rare evening with his wife. He was not sure if they did that kind of thing but it felt right. Tomorrow was going to be a double shift and he knew he probably would not see her awake again until after that. He threw the last chart into the outbox and headed to hang his coat.

"Doctor Harper?" a secretary called from the other room. Owen walked back hesitantly and looked in. The waiting room was still filled with people waiting to see a doctor.

"Yeah?" The man handed him a stack of folders. "What's this?"

"Remember the hospital is trying to integrate online. You still haven't responded to these patients. They've been waiting for your reply since before the holiday. Kirk is not happy." Owen flipped through the e-mails. Yep, mainly hypochondriacs.

"I'll get to them." Owen turned to leave.

"Kirk—"

"I said, I'll get to them. Night." Owen rolled his eyes and threw the folders into his inbox to deal with tomorrow. He would have plenty of time to do that bullshit during his double shift. He hung up his coat and pulled on his jacket. He told a few doctors and nurses goodnight before heading out.

"Doctor Harper," a nurse called as he reached the backstairs. He turned.

"I'm off."

"I know but it's Andrews, sir."

"Andrews can suck it; I'm off." Owen looked at his watch. "It's five o'clock. I'm going home." The nurse looked at her watch.

"It's a quarter to seven, Doctor." Owen looked at his watch. A quarter to seven. He was far more tired than he first thought. "But you had an appointment with—"

"If Andrews wants to talk to me, tell him to take a number." Owen pushed open the backstairs door with a forceful shove and made his way to the ground floor. Maybe he would take a drive before going home. Maybe after he let off some steam he could have a night in with his wife. He fumbled around for his keys. Yes…this was perfectly normal, Owen told himself and smiled. Perfectly normal. Owen slid into his car and drove off.

As he drove, Owen's car started beeping. He looked around trying to locate the noise. In the corner of his dashboard his small GPS blinked the name 'ANDREWS' in large letters on the screen. Owen pressed the screen hesitantly.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Dr. Harper, it's Dr. Andrews. I just wanted to check to see if you were planning to stop by the hospital today."

"Leaving already," Owen replied as he turned down a street.

"Excuse me, I meant our hospital. We were going to discuss a new possible treatment for your wife?"

"Yeah? Like what?"

"A new drug on the market," the woman on the phone replied with a trying and annoyed tone. "This new medication would probably help her psychosis better than the others we previous considered. Would you rather I just send you the information and have you get back to me at your convenience?" Owen pulled over and rubbed his hand over his forehead.

"Can you repeat that?"

"How about this, Dr. Harper? You come down to the hospital and attend the appointment you already made and I'll explain this like we discussed…last time." The woman was now seething with sarcasm.

"Yeah…which hospital?"

"Good evening, Dr. Harper." Dr. Andrews hung up and Owen looked at his wedding ring. What kind of awful marriage had he gotten himself into? That uncomfortable feeling was returning. Owen dug around through the folders littering his car looking for any information on his wife or Dr. Andrews but they were just patient files. Where was this hospital? Owen looked in the middle console and found a parking permit for a hospital that was programmed into his GPS system. This had to be it. It took Owen ten minutes to arrive at the large building that looked suspiciously like a group home.

Owen walked into the lobby, eying it suspiciously. A few people were wandering around with dazed awareness. He hated these kinds of hospitals. Owen approached the receptionist and smiled. She smiled back brightly and Owen had a bad feeling.

"Hello, Dr. Harper. Here to see Dr. Andrews?" she asked in a high voice. Her eyelashes fluttered as she smiled even brighter.

"Yeah, love…she is…?" The young girl giggled.

"Down the hall and up the elevator to the third floor." Owen nodded and walked away knowing he was being watched. Bloody hell…he seemed to have created a right mess of his life. Owen took the stairs and caught a few nurses watching him with that same knowing smile as the receptionist. He found Dr. Andrews' office easily and sat in the waiting room.

Well, he was in a nut house. Fantastic! He married a nutter. Another plus. She had to be down right awful, he concluded. The worst mistake of his life…maybe even a drunken mistake. He could not think of a better reason for his apparent disregard to the woman's existence.

"Good evening, Dr. Harper," Dr. Andrews greeted and Owen looked up. He smiled and stood. She was a tall woman with a bobbed haircut. She had a forgettable face.

"Dr. Andrews." Owen stayed quiet, unsure how these appointments usually went.

"Dr. Harper—"

"Call me, Owen." Dr. Andrews gave him a cold glare.

"Dr. Harper, your wife does not seem to be improving. In fact her ramblings are starting to turn into full on hysterics on some days." Dr. Andrews looked through her papers and shook her head. "And it says here you haven't come in to see her in weeks. I understand that people do not plan for situations like these…so if you feel unable—" Dr. Andrews' voice was so pitied for her patient but at the same time so disgusted with Owen that he could not let her continue.

"Can I see her now?" Dr. Andrews looked at her watch.

"I think we can arrange that. Briefly. We must go over these new options in her care." Dr. Andrews touched a male nurse on the arm. "Can you take Dr. Harper to see his wife? Make sure she is…presentable beforehand." The nurse nodded and looked at Owen.

"Follow me."

"We will talk after you see her," Dr. Andrews insisted. Owen watched Dr. Andrews over his shoulder as he followed the male nurse. They walked down a flight of stairs to the patient rooms. The male nurse checked the chart and then turned to Owen.

"Give me a moment to check up on her," he insisted and knocked before letting himself inside the room. "Good evening, Mrs. Harper," the nurse greeted. "Your husband is here to see you."

"My husband? Why do people keep calling me, Mrs. Harper? I…I don't belong here."

"I know, love. We'll figure this out soon." Owen felt overcome with emotions that he did not understand. Amnesia… He felt his chest sink in as if there was something more than his wife's condition weighing on him. Something in his fuzzy memories—

"You can come in," the nurse told Owen and held the door open. Owen took in a deep breath and walked into the small room. There were photos on the walls and on the dressers but most were covered with papers full of illegible scribbles.

"Love?" Owen called out…not knowing his own wife's name. The pain in his chest was starting to cause pain in his temples. The woman sitting on the edge of the only bed turned toward him. Owen sucked in a breath of relief and then chuckled.

"Toshiko?" The woman's eyes went wide with shock before laughing with overwhelming relief.

"Owen! Oh my god, Owen! Oh finally a familiar face!" She scrambled over the bed and clasped her hands on either side of Owen's face. "Oh my lord, it's so good to see you." Owen laughed.

"I thought something was…" Owen could not talk though his rapid breaths and nervous chuckles. "Oh it is so good to see you, Toshiko." He kissed her forehead and hugged her. Toshiko turned bright red. Owen pulled her to arms' length and looked at her. "What are you doing here? And posing as my wife? That was a crafty way to get me here."

"Owen, something is wrong here." She looked around nervously. "I can't remember things." She tapped her head. "I don't know how I ended up here. Look." She raised her left hand. She wore a wedding band. "I should remember my own wedding. I should remember my engagement. Something! Especially if I'm married to you." Owen laughed.

"Something special about being married me?" Owen teased. Toshiko blushed but Owen did not notice. "So you got yourself locked up in a nuthouse… Good job." Toshiko suddenly grew serious.

"Owen, something is wrong here. We have to get out. Don't you realize something is off?" Owen looked at her silently not understanding. "Like…" she trailed off thinking. "Like right now, how we met! I knew you and you knew me! Right away, as if we've know each other for years!"

"We have!"

"How? Where? How did we meet, Owen? Where? Why?" Owen thought about it.

"I don't know…But it's not important. It's just good to see a familiar face." Owen reached forward toward her but Toshiko pulled away.

"No! It is important. They kept calling me Mrs. Harper but it never clicked. Your name didn't exist for me until just a moment ago."

"Of course, it existed, Toshiko, because I existed. It's my name," Owen insisted but Toshiko looked annoyed.

"Something isn't right…I know it. I don't remember anything. Like our family. Our friends? I don't have friends!" Owen laughed.

"Of course you have friends. I know you have friends. We share mutual friends."

"Like who?" Toshiko demanded. "Give me names!" Owen rubbed his eyes in annoyance.

"You're really being difficult." Toshiko narrowed her eyes in anger.

"Don't you dare patronize me, Owen Harper! Don't even!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Owen snapped. "Maybe you do belong in this loony bin!"

"How can you even say that?" Toshiko asked. Hurt and disappointment was barely covered by her raised voice. Owen opened his mouth to reply when the door opened and Dr. Andrews and the male nurse entered.

"Mrs. Harper, are you alright?" Dr. Andrews asked.

"Stop calling me that! My name is Toshiko! Toshiko…" She thought, "Sato! I am Toshiko Sato! And I am not married to this stupid man! This stupid blockhead!" Toshiko yelled.

"It's alright, Toshiko…" Dr. Andrews spoke calmly trying to pacify her patient. She turned to Owen suddenly. "I think it would be best if you waited outside." Owen was going to protest but felt himself already being edged out of the room.

"Stop it! Let me go! Let me go!" Toshiko screamed.

"It's alright, Toshiko…" the male nurse assured her as Owen tried to force himself back inside but Dr. Andrews stepped into the hall and shut the door behind her.

"What are you doing to her?" Owen demanded trying to reenter the room but Dr. Andrews blocked his way.

"You have done enough, Mr. Harper."

"It's Dr. Harper!" Owen snapped. "What the hell are you going to do to her?"

"Just a simple sedation. We need to go over these new medications."

"I want to finish talking to her!"

"You can come back tomorrow. Right now—" Owen pushed the doctor out of the way and shoved his way to Toshiko's bedside. He sat on the bed beside her and took her hand.

"Toshiko…Toshiko, don't go to sleep yet," he begged rubbing her hand as if it would help. "Toshiko." Toshiko looked at him with a sleepy expression. The sedative was running through her system quickly. "Toshiko."

"Jack…" she muttered.

"No, it's Owen."

"Jack…Jack Harkness."

"The kid from today? What about him?"

"No—"

"You really need to let her rest," the nurse insisted.

"And you need to shut up!" Owen snapped before looking back to Toshiko. Her eyes were already closed.

"Ok? Find Jack…" Toshiko whispered and fell into a sedated sleep.

"Toshiko." Toshiko did not move. Owen shook her lightly. "Tosh." But she remained still.

"Dr. Harper…the papers…" Dr. Andrews suddenly interjected. Owen stood up and took the papers from her. She glared at him.

"So these are the new meds? These are what you want to put her on?"

"Yes. They should help her condition significantly."

"Fine. Alright. I'll be back tomorrow after I have read this."

"You will have to arrange—"

"Tell me. Who is this Jack Harkness?" Dr. Andrews and the nurse exchanged a look. "Who is he? Does he come here to see her? Who is he?"

"We don't know who he is," Dr. Andrews replied.

"He probably doesn't exist. I've seen her have full conversations with him in the halls…Strange conversations," the nurse added.

"What else? Who is he? Friend? Ex-lover?" Owen demanded.

"We don't know!" Dr. Andrews snapped back. "But if this continues with these delusions she will never return to her normal life. She will be here. Like that for the rest of her life!" She gestured to Toshiko's sleeping form. "So read those papers, Mr. Harper, and we will arrange the proper measures from there." She looked at her watch. "Excuse me." She left with a turn on her heel and stormed out. Owen watched as the male nurse checked Toshiko one last time and left himself.

Owen stared at Toshiko and grew angry. It was not supposed to be like this. This was not the Toshiko he knew. He did not know what she was supposed to be like but this was not it and that thought aggravated him to no end. Someone had locked her away here but it was not going to stay that way. Owen balled his hand into a fist. Now he had a name. Jack Harkness. Perhaps this man knew what was going on because it had come to the point that even Owen had to admit to himself that he did not have a fucking clue.


	5. Chapter 5

Owen rubbed his eyes after staring at the computer screen for what felt like hours. Out of instinct he glanced at the corner of his screen but a small stack of post-its covered the computer's clock. Maybe it was time to head to work but it also felt like the day hadn't ended. One thing was for sure. Looking for the man Jack Harkness was not an easy task.

There were millions of men, and even some women, named Jack Harkness in the medical records database. It felt like there was only one when Owen started his search but almost instantly millions were added.

What made matters worst was Owen could not remember Toshiko being friends with a person named Jack. It made him uneasy that he did not know his wife's friends. He must have been someone special if she thought he could help her instead of Owen himself. But then again it was more than that. It was the name Jack Harkness. He thought of the boy he had treated earlier but the boy was barely out of childhood. He was not Toshiko's Jack. Toshiko's Jack was an older man. Owen had a gut feeling about it. Jack…Jack…

Owen drank the last of his cold coffee and padded into the kitchen to pour more. The machine blinked 12:00 as Owen poured another large mug. He had unplugged all the visible clocks the moment he arrived home. Without the ticks or the changing numbers, time had stopped for the night and Owen was the only moving thing. He stared at the blinking coffee timer. His brain could not stop focusing on this man he knew he did not know. The boy before, the name reminded him of someone. Of something…

This was stupid, Owen silently admitted to himself. There was no way he could find one man in millions just by his name and a hunch. Who even knew if this man was real? Maybe he was one of Toshiko's delusions…maybe she was crazy.

Owen debated stopping for the night and going to sleep. One hand poised on the top of the laptop and the other closing windows with the mouse, Owen gave in. He closed a window and a popup window filled the screen. Owen grit his teeth in annoyance then paused. It was a recruitment advertisement for the American military. Owen stared at the simple but over the top catchphrases. It flipped through pictures of the different branches. Owen sat up. That's it!

Jack was an American! Owen pulled the keyboard closer. He could not trace his thoughts to that conclusion but he knew. He knew it! He could see the man in fuzzy memories that were growing brighter in color but still far away in Owen's mind. Jack was a tall man; he wore a thick military coat. He was an American. Owen typed away feverishly at the keys. Faces quickly disappeared from his search as he raced on his second wind of the night. He leaned into the computer before stopping.

That was him.

A handsome man in maybe his mid thirties stared out of the screen. He was boyish but there was something lonely about him. Owen felt uneasy staring at this strange man and began backtracking Jack's records. With each click there was a note of his existence but no medical update, no history. Every year Owen checked, Jack Harkness existed. There was no firm date of birth or date of death. He merely existed with the same face every year. How had no one noticed this abnormality, Owen wondered as he reached for a pen to write down the man's contact number. He clicked on the personal information when the screen went black.

"Fuck! No! Don't—" Owen fell silent as the computer screen turned on again. The screen slowly brightened but all the windows were different. "No! No!" Owen screamed. He closed the new windows but the familiar man was gone. Jack Harkness was missing once again. Owen slammed the laptop screen down and kicked the desk it sat on.

He turned around in his desk chair and noticed a wedding photograph. He picked up the framed picture of his and Toshiko's wedding. They looked so happy… He set the photograph down. But it still felt fake. Not a distant memory he could not remember but just unreal.

The phone rang and Owen reached over. He picked it up and cradled it against his ear.

"'Ello?" he answered.

"Owen? It's Therese. Where are you? We're waiting for you at work." Owen rubbed his hands against his eyes.

"Yeah…sorry. Got distracted. Hey, did we have any problems with record system this morning?"

"No, why?"

"I was researching a patient and the program closed down on me."

"It might be a hardware problem on your side."

"It wasn't." Owen turned the computer back on.

"I heard your computer! Are you coming in?"

"Yeah yeah. I just need to work a bit more on this patient." Therese was silent for a moment.

"Are you alright?"

"I went to see my wife last night. It's nothing." Therese waited. "Really. They want to put her on some new meds. That's all. It's nothing."

"Do you want to go out for coffee before it gets too busy?" Owen shook his head as he began looking for Jack Harkness again.

"No, I need to get this done."

"You know, we used to be friends…you can talk to me."

"Yeah…" Owen clicked away at the computer.

"She was just a stupid computer geek who followed you everywhere." Owen paused and held the phone to his ear. "Everyone thought you would have grown bored of her by now."

"But I didn't," Owen insisted, feeling as if he had to defend himself. He felt something building in his chest as he listened.

"That's such a lie. Everyone knows you sleep around, Owen. Even she knows." Owen shook his head and turned back to the screen.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Therese laughed over the phone.

"You can lie to yourself all you want but you don't feel anything for her. You've told me so."

"Toshiko is my wife!" Owen snapped harshly at his colleague. Therese fell silent. "And I do…love her. I do." He turned back to his computer and typed hard against the keys, taking out his frustrations on the keyboard. He could not focus.

"Right…I should let you go…" Therese stated. She waited for a moment for Owen to protest but when none came, she hung up. Owen sighed and hung up. He didn't know what bothered him more: being told how he felt or that it might be true…

Owen stood up and grabbed his coat. He was wasting time. He had to find Jack Harkness.


	6. Chapter 6

Owen pulled into the parking lot of Toshiko's hospital. He felt uncomfortable seeing the sun still in the sky. He should have been at work by now but the sun had not moved since he left home and he was sure it was still around five. He kept the folder on Jack Harkness close to his side.

After what felt like hours of research Owen finally found one small file about Toshiko's mystery man. There had been a plague breakout in the 1940s in the height of the Blitz and there was a mention of a doctor helping isolate the breakout with two assistants, Rose Tyler and a Capt. Jack Harkness. Owen had looked at the blurry distant photograph of the three. It looked like the Jack he had seen earlier but he wasn't sure.

He bit his lip and walked into the building. A few earlier risers were moving about but Owen disregarded them and headed straight to Toshiko's room. He knocked but there was no answer. Owen slowly pushed the door open and peered inside.

"Toshiko?" he called. Toshiko sat on her bed staring outside. Owen smiled. "Hey, Tosh." Toshiko turned to him and stared at him blankly. "Hey…are you alright?"

"Are you the new nurse?" she asked as she stared at him. Owen frowned.

"No. I'm Owen. Your husband." Toshiko chuckled and looked out the window.

"That's funny."

"Tosh, are you alright?" Toshiko did not reply. "Tosh. Hey. I'm talking to you." Toshiko looked back to him. She smiled again.

"Hello. Are you the new nurse?" Owen set his folder down and knelt before her.

"Toshiko, do you know who I am? I'm Owen. Owen Harper."

"Oh! Doctor Owen Harper!" Owen smiled. "Are you my new doctor?" Owen shook his head and took Toshiko's hands.

"No, love. I'm your husband." Toshiko laughed and blushed.

"I wish." She suppressed her giggles and patted Owen's hands. "You're funny." She pointed to the end of her bed. "Don't you want to check my charts? That's what the new doctors do." Owen hesitantly reached for Toshiko's chart and glanced at it.

"Toshiko, this is wrong." Toshiko smiled.

"Is it?" Her eyes lit up.

"It says you have early onset of Alzheimer's…" Owen muttered as his hands trembled.

"Doctor Harper?" Toshiko asked softly and Owen jerked away from her touch. His blood felt cold through his body. "Are you alright?" Owen dropped the chart and opened the folder he had brought with him. He had to stay focus. It was just tricks. His mind was playing tricks on him. His chest was choking his lungs and heart again.

"Toshiko, I found the man you asked me to look for. Here." He handed Toshiko the photograph of Jack Harkness. "I know he is alive. He has been for years…centuries maybe. But this was all I could find. That's Jack." He pointed to one of the fuzzy figures in the photograph. Toshiko looked up at Owen completely confused.

"I…who is this?"

"Jack. Jack Harkness. You told me to find him yesterday."

"No…" she smiled. "I just met you." Owen kicked the chart resting on the floor.

"No, you didn't, Tosh! What is wrong with you? You are my wife! You are my Toshiko!" Toshiko stared at Owen unsure how to respond. "Come on, Tosh. It's me. Owen. Owen Harper!" Toshiko looked down thinking then shook her head.

"No…Owen isn't…Owen…Owen is dead." She looked up. "Owen Harper is dead."

"No, I'm fucking not!" Owen snapped. "I'm right here. What is wrong with you? I was just here yesterday. You told me to find this man." Owen pointed at the fuzzy photograph. "You said something was wrong here. And you're right. Something is not right here. And I need to get you out of here. We need to get out. Right now."

"But…" Owen pressed his hands on either side of Toshiko's face. She blushed as he leaned in.

"Toshiko, do you trust me?" She nodded slowly. "Why?"

"I don't know…"

"It's because you know me. You trust me and I trust you. So come on." He took her hands.

"Where are we going?"

"Home." Toshiko stopped walking and looked around the room.

"Should I change?" Owen looked at Toshiko's hospital garb but shook his head.

"Just grab something. We just need to get out of here. I can't have something else happening to you." Owen grabbed the folder on Jack and led Toshiko by the hand after she pulled out some clothes from her dresser. He looked to either side of the corridor before walking toward the stairwell.

"I'm still very confused…"

"I don't know what happened. Yesterday your file said you had schizophrenia and today you have Alzheimer's. Something is wrong here. You were right. Not just with the hospital but everything. But no one seems to know but us. We have to fix it."

"Fix it? But I don't even know what's going on." Toshiko and Owen walked quickly down the stairs to the ground floor. "You claim to be my husband but we have never met. Look." Toshiko held up her ring finger. "No ring."

"Fine. Fine. You can't remember me. Or Jack. Who do you remember?" Owen held open the front door and watched as the patients seemed unmoved from when he entered. Toshiko walked out and down the stairs.

"I have Alzheimer's, you say so this will be…" Owen glanced over his shoulder and saw Doctor Andrews.

"Come on," he insisted.

"Doctor Harper?" Doctor Andrews called out. Toshiko glanced back and the doctor looked at her in surprise.

"Come on!" Owen snapped and pushed Toshiko to walk faster toward his car.

"Mrs. Harper! Doctor Harper! Stop!" Owen started running and pulled Toshiko behind him. Toshiko looked behind them and ran. Owen smiled at the adrenaline rush. He was surprised how easily Toshiko kept up with him. He half expected her to be weak from being in the hospital so long or at least hesitant to rebel.

They rushed toward Owen's car with relative ease. An orderly tried to stop them but Owen shoved him out of their way. Owen grinned at his own strength. He was stronger than he looked; it surprised and pleased him. Owen slid into the driver's seat as Toshiko slid into the passenger's seat and pulled on her seatbelt.

"What a mess…" Toshiko muttered. Owen threw the car into reverse and they were thrown to the side of their seats.

"Can we not discuss this now!" Owen snapped. Toshiko gripped onto anything she could.

"Who taught you how to drive?" she screamed. Owen shoved the car into drive and sped off. They weaved through traffic easily. Owen chuckled and glanced over to Toshiko. She was sitting back as if her thoughts were suddenly elsewhere; her eyes rapidly scanned her surroundings.

"Tosh?" Toshiko ignored him as she sat up and reaching over to grab the GPS system from the dashboard.

"What are you doing?" Toshiko pushed a few keys on the GPS as if she did not hear him. She flipped the machine over and tried to pry it open. Owen looked over. "What are you doing!" he snapped.

"I need to get this open. Do you have a screwdriver?" Toshiko asked. She opened the glove compartment and shoved things around. She paused and pulled a gun out.

"Woah! What the—" Toshiko glanced it over before putting it back into the compartment. She found a screwdriver and pried the GPS machine open. "Tosh!" The machine lay in two halves on her lap. She used the screwdriver to pop a small disk out the GPS. She held it up to the light. "What is it?"

"A tracer." She looked at him.

"How do you know that?"

"I just do." She tossed it out of the window and turned to the GPS then to Owen. "Sorry about your GPS."

"Why is there a gun in the compartment?" Toshiko took it out and held it with two hands as if aiming.

"I don't know but I know how to use it." Owen kept driving as Toshiko discarded the gun into the back seat and continued prodding and prying Owen's GPS apart.

"Um…so how are you feeling now?" Owen asked hesitantly, glancing over to see what Toshiko was doing. She stopped and looked up. "You seem a lot more like yourself," Owen commented not knowing if it was true but she looked relaxed. Toshiko smiled.

"That seems so weird when I don't even know what is…like me."

"Well, you called me Owen. That's a start."

"I guess I do feel a little relaxed now…less groggy. But I still don't like the fact that you keep talking about us like we existed before my memory of us."

"Then you know how I felt yesterday." Owen continued hesitantly. "Yesterday you said something was wrong with everything around us and you were right. You asked me to find a man named Jack. Jack Harkness. I think he's important. Whenever I seem to get close to finding him, something stops me. My computer malfunctions, the system goes down…something always goes wrong. Even you don't remember him now and you sent me out to find him. Someone doesn't want us to find him. Someone is messing with our lives."

"That seems a little extreme. I highly doubt memories just disappear at someone's will," Toshiko mocked.

"It does seem strange but at the same time running away from the hospital felt natural like I…we do it all the time." Owen laughed at his own comment and Toshiko joined in.

"It did, didn't it?" Toshiko agreed. Owen looked around.

"We better get something to eat and find a place to hide out." Owen looked at Toshiko's clothes. "And maybe get dressed." Toshiko chuckled.

"Yeah…" Owen moved his hand over Toshiko's and smiled. She paled and yanked it away before growing flushed.

"I know you said we're married but…please don't."

"Well yeah, sure. I just thought…" He trailed off. "Nothing." He kept silent before turning on the radio. Toshiko glanced at him before looking at the clock. It blinked 12:00. She looked outside.

"It's still early out…around eight or nine. What time do you have?"

"I've been avoiding clocks." Toshiko looked suspiciously at Owen and he noticed. "Don't give me that look," he snapped. "There's something wrong with the clocks." Toshiko sighed and turned the GPS system over to look at the screen.

"These things are built to have tracking devices; that's how the machine works," Toshiko suddenly started explaining. "What I did instead was remove the tracking device and hack into the system. Essentially what we have now is a just a map and we can input our direction without giving off a signal. Plus I scrambled the IP address so we can look up recent reports or edit CCTV that catch us and eliminate them without being detected."

"Bloody hell, you don't even need a full computer to do that? Just something with electronics and internet?" Owen asked in amazement.

"Well…It's not that easy but…" Toshiko faded off as something outside caught her eye.

"Hey!" Owen called trying to get Toshiko's attention. Toshiko turned back.

"Let's get something to eat. My stomach is killing me." Owen nodded.

They drove for another hour before Owen parked in the parking structure at a small hotel. He went down the block to find food while Toshiko changed in the backseat. She pulled on a shirt and pair of pants. She wished she had a coat but instead left her shirt untucked. She pushed the gun from the glove compartment in the small of her back under the loose shirt. She felt far from glamorous as she exited the backseat and waited for Owen.

She looked around trying not to be conspicuous but it was difficult not knowing what she was even doing here. Owen claimed to be her husband but as she rubbed her ringless ring finger she found that hard to believe. In fact he seemed just as unsure about everything as she did. She took a deep breath as her head swam. She looked up and saw Owen coming toward her with two packs of chips. He handed her one of the packs and then pulled a room key from his pocket.

"Got us a room. Separate beds," he added quickly when Toshiko gave him a sharp look.

"So what do we do now?" Toshiko asked as she munched on the food slowly.

"Let's get inside and then we'll figure something out." Owen led the way to their room. It was modest and typical of a cheap hotel. A place for a cheap one-night stand, Toshiko thought to herself. Owen followed her in and quickly went for the clock. He unplugged it and the bright numbers disappeared.

"I think you should explain your weird thing with clocks," Toshiko insisted.

"Time is moving to what we expect of it," Owen replied as he looked under the two beds and the drawers. "And when it's not, it's not moving properly. Sometimes skipping full hours."

"That's a little egotistical." Owen shrugged.

"This whole situation is egotistical. No one else seems to be notice time rewriting itself whenever it wants to. Why is it only you and me? Yesterday we didn't know each other but we did. It was like recognizing an old friend after a relapse but then today…you're…we're not the same as yesterday." Owen glanced at Toshiko over his shoulder waiting for a reply then closed the last drawer and relaxed.

Toshiko stood deep in thought silently eating her chips. There was some truth in his statement. The timeline was different for her but despite not knowing Owen, she trusted him. She cared for him. Toshiko dropped the newspaper container of chips.

She gasped and fell to her knees then against the floor.

"Toshiko?" Owen called. "Tosh!" She felt pain in her stomach and head. Another pain, like nails, ripped at her back and throat. She coughed trying to inhale. Owen dropped to his knees and looked at Toshiko's face; she was pale. He pressed his fingers to her throat trying to find something blocking her airway.

Suddenly the ripping pain disappeared. Toshiko gasped, inhaling a deep breath.

"Tosh? Are you alright?" Owen demanded as he pushed her hair back and tried to get a good look at her.

"Just…just get me…some water," Toshiko whispered. "Please." Owen nodded and quickly went to the bathroom. Toshiko rolled onto her back and tried to calm her breathing. She closed her eyes and could hear the water running in the bathroom. She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands and sighed.

"Where are you, Tosh?"

"I am right here where you left me," Toshiko muttered.

"Toshiko!"

"I—" The words stopped in Toshiko's mouth as she lowered her hands. Her eyes hurt as she tried to open them. They felt crusted shut. She rubbed them and hit her hands in the process. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was enclosed in a tight cubby. She pressed her hands to the ceiling then kicked the wall against her feet.

"Hello?" There was no answer. "Owen? Hello! Someone! Help!"

Owen stepped out of the bathroom and paused.

"Toshiko?" he called but the room was empty. "Where are you, Tosh?" There was no answer. "Toshiko!"


	7. Chapter 7

Ianto paused.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. Jack shook his head as he buried his face closer to Ianto's neck. Ianto pushed Jack away. "No, I heard something…" Jack pulled away.

"Alright, alright. Let's go see what Gwen is up to if it's so important…" A loud pounding filled the room. Jack looked up as he heard it.

"I don't think that's Gwen…" Ianto muttered.

Jack and Ianto simultaneously pulled their guns out as they moved quickly toward the noise. Light from the main hall of the Torchwood Hub crept into the tunnel Ianto and Jack had been working in before they gave into distraction. The pounding grew louder as they moved further into the light.

Gwen walked down the stairs next to Owen's now empty station. She looked annoyed as her footsteps pounded on the metal grates.

"What the hell were you two doing down there? I could hear you clear up here," she complained. She had grown irritable in the past months; they all had.

"Hey, that wasn't us," Jack defended with a grin. The loud pounding echoed throughout the large hub and Gwen was quick to pull out her gun.

"What was that?" she whispered.

"Myfanwy? It's about her time to go out," Ianto replied as he led the group down another corridor. Jack hesitated then lowered his gun.

"Is that coming from the morgue?" Jack asked. Ianto and Gwen shared a quick glance. Jack took the lead, gun up and ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"Hello? Somebody! Please…" the voice cried and filled the spacious morgue. There were a few half-hearted pounds then nothing. The three entered the morgue Gwen hung back while Ianto looked up then down to make sure there were no aerial surprises. Jack approaches the large wall of drawers. They all waited silently for a noise to start up again. Jack debated making a lighthearted joke but even his heart rate was far from calm. Just months ago he closed Toshiko and his brother into these numerous doors. Suzie was locked away somewhere in here…even he had once momentarily occupied a drawer. His mind wandered in guilt and anxiety.

"Hello?" Gwen called. "Can we help you?" There was nothing. Jack looked to Gwen then to Ianto. Maybe it was nothing, he illogically considered.

"Help! Please! Somebody!" the voice screamed this time. The pounding started up again and Jack quickly followed.

"Jesus Christ, Jack! We buried someone alive!" Gwen exclaimed. Jack freed one of his hands and felt for the pounding.

"It's—" Jack started then quickly stopped. Toshiko? He swallowed hard. Taking over in Jack's hesitation, Ianto moved forward and pulled the door open. He yanked the cold corpse tray from the cubby and stood emotionless in expression but blood rushing worst than the others.

Toshiko jerked up and gasped, tears swelled in her eyes from the prospect of being buried alive.

"Oh my god…oh my…" she whispered as she clutched the plastic sheets to her chest to stop her heart from beating so fast. She quickly rubbed her eyes and chuckled in relief.

Ianto and Jack were speechless as Toshiko ignored them. Gwen, however, gained her mobility and rushed past them. She threw her arms around Toshiko and hugged her tightly. Toshiko gasped and looked at the woman hugging her.

"This can't be happening," Gwen cried. Tears pouring down her face as she buried it into Toshiko's cold skin. "How is this happening?" Gwen tried to laugh as she looked into Toshiko's face for the first time.

"Gwen?" Toshiko asked. Gwen began sobbing as she hugged Toshiko as tight as she could. Completely bewildered Toshiko looked to Jack. Within seconds he had his arms around Toshiko and Gwen. He did not sob or even cry but Toshiko could feel him trembling.

"What…" Toshiko noticed that she was naked. She gasped. "Oh! I need some clothes!" Gwen and Jack laughed at her familiar modesty.

"I'll handle that," Ianto spoke up for the first time. Toshiko tried to turn toward him but he was already rushing away. His own emotions only moments from breaking and he welcomed the escape to express them alone. Toshiko hesitantly and softly touched the arms around her, not completely sure how to respond.

"Nice to have you back, Tosh," Jack spoke finally as pushed her hair back from her face. Toshiko laughed and smiled.

"It's good to see you, Jack." Toshiko looked around then frowned. "How did I get here?" Gwen looked to Jack then back to Toshiko.

"I don't know. We—"

"One outfit for Toshiko Sato," Ianto interrupted as he walked into the morgue with a clothes bag. Toshiko and Ianto shared a mutual shy smile as he laid the bag over her lap. "Good to have you back, Tosh," he greeted softly.

"Thank you, Ianto." She looked to Jack and Gwen. "I probably should…" she trailed off and smiled.

"Of course," Gwen insisted and gave Toshiko a quick squeeze on the shoulder. She followed Ianto out of the morgue glancing back quickly and trying not to grin as wide as she wanted. She lowered her head and smiled as she bounded up the stairs. Toshiko looked to Jack.

"See you in ten?" Jack asked as he gave Toshiko's hand a tight squeeze. Toshiko nodded.

"Right." Jack removed his hands before walking away, pocketing them in his pants pockets. Toshiko glanced over her shoulder to see him leave then sighed. She listened to the crinkling bag and sheets. What a bizarre situation, she thought. She twitched her toes as she looked around. She silently wished Owen was there to greet her before maneuvering her still defrosting legs from the table. Maybe she was going to need more than ten minutes to get up and ready.


	8. Chapter 8

Owen set down the glass of water and walked out of the hotel room. He entered the hotel office and looked around for a service member.

"Hey! I am looking for my wife. Short Asian lady in jeans and a T-shirt. She has brownish hair. Have you seen her?" he asked. The awkward man just shook his head. "Fuck," Owen muttered under his breath and exited.

"Toshiko!" he called. There was no answer. "Tosh?" Again there was no reply. "Fuck! TOSH!" Owen heard something behind him and spun around. A mother and her son were walking toward him. The mother glared at him as she hurried past, holding her son close to her. Owen kicked the metal railing before running his hands through his hair angrily.

"Doctor Harper," a voice spoke behind him. Owen spun around and then backed against the railing quickly.

"What the—"

"That wasn't very nice what you did today," Doctor Andrews stated coldly. "We were only fixing problems you created." Owen moved slowly with his back still firmly against the rail.

"What problems?" Owen asked. "Toshiko was in danger! Did you do that to her? Did you take her memories!" Owen was getting angrier with each question he asked.

"We did. She was causing a panic. You were causing a panic by coming to see her."

"But wasn't that what you wanted? You called me! You told me to come and see her!"

"Our calculations were off. We believed that you would not care. That you would enjoy the freedom we gave you."

"What are you talking about? You've fucking lost it." Owen turned to run when he ran into an open hand palm. He felt excruciating pain running through his forehead and then suddenly everything went dark. Owen collapsed to the floor lifeless. Doctor Andrews looked up to her companion. Therese made a face as if she had eaten something disgusting.

"Guh, rotten…" she muttered. "They're becoming more of a problem than I am willing to deal with."

"I know," Doctor Andrews replied with a tired sigh. "Have you found his companion? The Asian woman?"

"She disappeared completely."

Resurrection glove again?" Therese shrugged.

"Won't know until we've got her back." Doctor Andrews nudged Owen with her foot. "What should we do with him?"

"Create a new reality and let one of the other girls take care of him. I am sick of dealing with his shit." Therese nodded and pressed her hand to Owen's forehead. She closed her eyes as she created a new reality within the empty canvas she had created.


	9. Chapter 9

It took Toshiko fifteen minutes to start moving and then dress. Her feet felt like they were on pin needles as she favored one then the other. She made her way very slowly to the main hub. She ran her hands against the cold metal railings that she never thought she would ever touch again. She gripped them as she walked up the stairs, glancing toward Owen's empty lab and then to his empty workstation. Her chest seized up and she turned away. With the last of her strength, Toshiko walked to her computers and collapsed into the chair. Her feet were starting to hurt again. She sighed and let her feet hang in relief.

Ianto and Gwen stood on the staircase to the upper landing watching her silently. Her entrance had interrupted their speculative conversation. They saw Jack exiting his office and decided it was their time to join them.

"Here, you might need these," Jack stated as he pulled Toshiko's red glasses from a bag of her personal belongings. Toshiko smiled and took them and the bag of her things. "So…I think this time is as good as any to try and figure out what's going on here."

Toshiko turned in her chair to focus on her coworkers.

"Do you…have any wounds?" Ianto asked half wondering if he would have to get the first aid kit. Toshiko shook her head.

"Nothing that needs any attention," Toshiko answered then wiggled her fingers for them. "Can feel and everything too."

"That rules out a resurrection glove," Jack announced. The room grew quiet again except for the squeaking of Toshiko's chair as she turned it side to side.

"So…"

"What was it like?" Gwen blurted out suddenly cutting off Ianto's potential statement. Everyone turned to him but his face was straight and focused intently on Toshiko.

"Um…darkness," Toshiko replied hesitantly. "There's nothing…just darkness."

As she breathed air again for the first time in months, Toshiko felt like there had been more to death than she had remembered. There was more than just…the end. She thought back but all she could remember was darkness.

"Suzie…" Gwen paused when everyone turned to her then continued, "Suzie said there was something in the dark. Something waiting." Toshiko thought back to her death and how to describe it. Had there been something? She felt something heavy on her shoulders but she could not describe why or how it was there.

"Yeah…I feel like there was something. Something…waiting." Toshiko bit her lip as she thought. In her silence, the hub also grew uncomfortably silently again.

"Well!" Jack announced loudly then chuckled. Ianto and Gwen looked to him suspiciously but Toshiko just let her thoughts fall back and gave Jack her full attention. It was like nothing had changed. "Ianto, set up a bed for Toshiko and we can finish this tomorrow in the morning. I think we all need a full night's rest."

"Right," Ianto replied and disappeared. Jack nodded and headed up to his office. Gwen sat in Owen's chair and exchanged awkward glances toward Toshiko.

"So…" Gwen trailed off and pursed her lips in thought. She played with her wedding ring and Toshiko watched her.

"How's things with Rhys?" Toshiko asked.

"Good. Good. He's been really great helping me…you know…um…get over your death. Owen's death. It was a lot." Toshiko nodded.

"Yeah…sorry about that?" Toshiko asked not quite sure how to reply. They both chuckled a bit. Gwen bit her lip and gripped her hands tightly together.

"Well, I better head out. Rhys is waiting for me," she stated. Her voice trembled just a little.

"Right," Toshiko agreed. Gwen stood up and it was quiet again. She grabbed her coat and nodded to Toshiko as she rushed by. "Night." Toshiko turned in her chair to follow her.

"Good night." Toshiko watched Gwen leave then sighed. She couldn't blame Gwen for feeling awkward around her. Their relationship had never been…she wouldn't have described it as close but in Gwen's defense, this was a lot to process. Even as coworkers this had to be tough for the emotional member of Torchwood. But Toshiko smiled as she admired Gwen's attempt to stay collected.

"Tosh," Ianto spoke up. Toshiko turned and smiled. "Your bed is ready."

"Thank you, Ianto." Ianto nodded.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Ianto walked up to Jack's office and Toshiko watched him disappear behind the drawn blinds.

Toshiko stood up and rubbed her face. She felt so lethargic but nothing in her memory told her why. She headed to the bed Ianto had made for her on the couch. She sat on it before sighing. The cloth was not pleasant to the touch. Torchwood could afford better blankets than this… But then again Torchwood rarely had visitors that needed warm soft blankets and really she could not complain considering just an hour ago she felt nothing. Absolutely nothing…

Toshiko patted the pillow but did not feel ready to sleep. She sat there for a good ten minutes rubbing and pulling the coarse cloth between her fingers.

This feeling of reliving was so lonely… It felt like a punishment. But for what? It was not like her life before this had been full of companionship. Toshiko half wondered if her and Owen would have bonded over this reliving experience… If he was still alive, she casually reminded herself.

Toshiko sighed and laid down on her side. What was she thinking? They had had plenty of experiences to related to that never turned into talking points. It was not a matter of time but rather a matter of mismatched personalities.

Toshiko buried her face into her pillow as she felt tears prickles around her eyes. It was not worth getting worked up about, she told herself. It wouldn't have worked! It wouldn't have…

Giving up, Toshiko sat up and rubbed at her eyes roughly. This was not the time for a pity party! She pushed herself up and quickly headed toward her old workstation and sat down heavily, not completely trusting her feet just yet. She pulled on her glasses and started up the computer. Slowly the two screens flickered to life and waited for her command. She paused.

Gwen had obviously taken over her desk. Private photographs had replaced Toshiko's extra screens. She had to admit it was sweet but a little useless if serious work needed to be done. Toshiko paused. At eye level was her photograph. She pulled it from the station and swallowed hard. How had they got this? It was hers! Toshiko held the photograph of her and Owen close to her chest and sighed. She remembered when Mary had seen the photograph and Toshiko had hid it away never to be taken out again. For it to be here… She shook her head. There was nothing she could do about it now. But it was hers and she was taking it back. Putting the photograph to the side Toshiko looked at the double screens and sighed again.

"Christ…" she muttered. What the hell had they been doing in her absence? She typed rapidly against the keys and then just stared. Her coding…What had they been doing? Toshiko sighed and began fixing the horrible things someone had done to her numerous upgrades. How had they gotten any work done in this state?

Toshiko's fingers moved quickly despite the months of atrophy. As her eyes scanned the code, she forgot about her earlier worries. It was like before… Her emotions, her pain, nothing existed as she worked. And she lived and worked like this for hours. Through the night, as she had done years before her death, Toshiko worked herself to exhaustion.

"Cut it out," Ianto muttered as he shoved Jack's grabby hands away. Jack just grinned and followed Ianto down the stairs from his office. He looked over Ianto's shoulder and noticed Toshiko slumped over her workstation. He sighed.

"Well—"

"Should I get a blanket or take her to bed?" Ianto asked. Jack grinned.

"Take her to bed, hm?" Ianto frowned seriously and went to get Toshiko a blanket. Jack chuckled at Ianto's back. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he approached his sleeping employee. She looked exhausted and looking at the confusing code filling her computer screens, Jack knew she had overworked herself…again. That made him smile bitterly. That was very Toshiko. Almost like nothing had changed.

Jack rested his hand on Toshiko's shoulder and shook her gently. Toshiko groaned a little before sitting up.

"Did I fall asleep?" Toshiko asked as she looked around and rubbed her eyes under her glasses.

"Just a little," Jack assured her with a smile.

"Sorry, I just…" Toshiko stretched a little. Ianto came up the stairs and paused. His shoulders dropped visibly and glared at Jack. Jack seemed to feel Ianto's glare on him and turned toward him. He smiled brightly.

"Jack…" Ianto muttered.

"Toshiko woke up. You mind getting us some coffees?" Ianto glared at him before storming off. Toshiko looked at Jack then to Ianto, unsure of what she was seeing. Jack turned back and grinned. "You feeling ready to get back into work?"

"Sure?" Toshiko answered hesitantly then turned back to her computer. "These are pretty out of date and I had a few patches that I was going to start installing into the system before I…" She paused. "Before I died. I think that will help with memory utilization and speed up the overall performance." Jack nodded.

"I'm going to pretend to know what you just said and say yes, do that." Toshiko smiled. Ianto bound up the stairs empty handed and Jack glanced over his shoulder toward him. "Where are the coffees?"

"We have weevil activity," Ianto explained. Toshiko's brows knitted together as she looked at her computer.

"I don't see anything here," she muttered. Jack grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah…"

"He disabled that alert after Owen died. They got a little out of hand and—"

"It WAS annoying," Jack insisted.

"But he forgot how to turn the alert back on after they settled down," Ianto finished. Both Toshiko and Ianto looked at Jack disapprovingly.

"What?" Jack exclaimed.

"How big is the activity? Should I page Gwen?" Toshiko asked as she tried to figure out what Jack had done to the weevil alerts. Ianto and Jack exchanged glances. It was almost uncanny how Toshiko slipped back into her job so well.

"I'm sure we can handle it," Ianto stated. Toshiko nodded.

"Alright. I think I'll have the alerts up and working in a couple of minutes. I can supply backup from here." Jack smiled and looked at Ianto.

"I guess we should get on it then." Ianto nodded. Jack and Ianto were ready and out of the Hub in a record time. Toshiko grinned toward the SUV garage before turning back to her computer. This wasn't so bad, she guessed. She glanced over to Owen's workstation. She had to be strong. She looked back to her computer and followed the SUV's movements.


	10. Chapter 10

Toshiko turned onto her back. The sheets were cold against her bare back and she pulled at her shirt, which had ridden up during all of her tossing and turning. Two weeks and everything was the same again. When she first awoke from death Toshiko just wanted to live again. To live her life to the fullest like she hadn't before. She was going to fulfill every desire, every want, just as soon as everything became normal again.

And that was what happened.

Everything was the same again. It was just as it was before. Every joke was still something she did not understand. Every whisper and chuckle was part of a secret she didn't know. She was still on the outside. Being dead and then alive again didn't change any of it.

She never shared any kind of intimate relationship with her teammates and that was even more obvious with Owen gone. Her relationship with him had been tense and awkward at best but they had been friends. Ianto had Jack now and what was the point in getting between bedfellows? Jack and Gwen...well they always seemed to be friendly but almost intimating in their smothering affection. Not really the type Toshiko felt comfortable sharing secrets with...at least not willingly. She was isolated. She was alone.

Toshiko sat up and buried her face into her knees. Maybe death was better than this. Maybe she was happier in death. A few tears escaped Toshiko's eyes but she quickly wiped them away. She sighed and stared at the ceiling. Another five hours and it was to work again...

* * *

"I don't think she's eating right," Gwen whispered as she glanced toward Toshiko making sure she was not being overheard. Jack sighed as he listened to Gwen's concerns.

"Ianto has been watching her for a while. He said she's fine," Jack replied.

"He's not a doctor, Jack. Something is wrong with her."

"Think she caught a stomach bug on her way back from the dead?" Gwen scowled at him.

"That's not funny. You need to talk to her." Jack scratched at his neck then sighed.

"Alright. I'll take care of it." Gwen nodded.

"Thank you." Jack watched Toshiko sit at her desk. Her face was pale from the screen light. Her eyes rapidly scanning the screen as her fingers taped swiftly across the keys without supervision. Jack sighed. She looked fine to him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed up to his office.

Ianto passed behind Toshiko with paperwork. Neither acknowledged the other until Toshiko spun on her chair.

"Ianto," she spoke just loud enough to be heard. Ianto paused and smiled.

"Yeah?"

"I need your help with something when you have a free moment." Toshiko glanced at Gwen and Jack. "And if you could just keep it between us..." Ianto followed her gaze then nodded.

"Sure. I'll be done in an hour." Toshiko smiled.

"Thanks." Ianto rushed off to the meeting room and Toshiko turned back to computer as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Toshiko knelt on the floor in the lower vaults. She opened the cases she had brought down with her as Ianto stood towering above her.

"I don't know about this," Ianto stated. Toshiko just smiled and pulled the injection mechanism out of one case. She pushed a vial from another case into it and tapped out the bubbles.

"Don't worry. I'll only be under for ten minutes. I don't even need to be in the lab," Toshiko insisted and held the needle up to Ianto.

"So why can't I tell Jack or Gwen then?" Toshiko frowned and lowered the needle.

"Because I need to do this. I can't explain it to them. They would want me to share my feelings and analyze my reasoning...and I can't do it. Not right now. Not to anyone."

"What's wrong with sharing your feelings? It makes you feel good," Ianto insisted.

"I don't want to, Ianto, alright? I just want to explain this to—" Toshiko stopped herself. Ianto frowned.

"You've been acting really strange since you came back from the dead." Toshiko sighed. "We all are here for you. You know that, right?" Ianto looked uneasy as Toshiko stayed focus at her task at hand. He knew Toshiko did not see the strain she was putting on him and the others.

"I know," Toshiko replied flatly. "I know you want to help but... I just...I don't know. I need to do something." Toshiko looked up at Ianto, begging him to understand. "I don't care if it seems rash or thoughtless and probably to some degree it is. But everyone else does things without thinking. Why can't I, for once, not analyze my actions a million times over?" She stared at him daring him to tell her otherwise. Daring him to stop this because she knew he wouldn't. He wasn't like Gwen or Jack. He would try to understand without stopping her. Ianto sighed and knelt down beside her. Toshiko smiled knowing she had won.

"Let me." He took the needle from her and supported her head and back as he held her at an angle. "Tosh."

"Yeah?" Toshiko looked up at him.

"This isn't going to bring him back." Toshiko gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I know." Ianto pressed the tip of the needle to Toshiko's neck then pushed the trigger. He watched as the vial emptied. Toshiko's eyelids grew heavy and fluttered close. Her breathing became even as her body grew heavy in his arms. Ianto slowly lowered her onto her back then sat against the vault wall. He bit his thumb as he wondered if he was doing the right thing.

* * *

Toshiko eyes snapped open. An unfamiliar ceiling. She groaned as she pushed herself up and looked around. She touched her face and head. Everything was intact. She groaned as her stomach hurt and she pressed her hand to it. The fabric felt strange against her skin. Pulling her shirt up, Toshiko choked back a sound as she saw the hole in her stomach.

"Oh my god..." she muttered. She stared at the hole that had not been there minutes before.

Something crashed and Toshiko jerked toward the sound. She unconsciously pressed one hand to the front of her wound as if hiding it out of modesty. There was no blood or reason for the pressure but she kept her hand on her wound. Soft conversation filtered in through the half opened door. Toshiko slowly swung her feet over the side of the bed and pressed them firmly to the cold wood. Her feet felt too small to support her weight but she walked steadily to the door.

She paused before peering out into hall. She could see a television turned on in the other room. She crept toward it with one hand against the wall for potential support and the other edging away from her wound to the space before her in case she fell. A person was sprawled out on the couch watching the large screen. She stopped short of entering the new room.

"Good morning, Toshiko," a voice spoke. Toshiko spun around. She raised her arms to steady herself as her eyes met with a woman in the kitchen. "Hungry?" Toshiko glanced at the unmoved person on the couch.

"No, thank you," Toshiko refused and looked back to the tall woman.

"You should eat," the woman insisted as she turned off the stove flame and piled the scrambled eggs onto a plate.

"It will make you feel better." Toshiko spun around and simultaneous backed up against the wall. Her eyes darting from the woman at the stove and the identical woman, who had not been there before, sitting on the back of the couch.

"Who are you?" Toshiko whispered.

"Eat first. Then we'll speak," the cook insisted and pushed the plate across the counter and toward Toshiko.

"We won't have time," the other woman spoke. Toshiko turned to her but froze when another identical woman sat in the far corner. "It already took us this long to find her..."

"Who are you people?" Toshiko whispered as she brought her hand to her mouth. The woman cooking in the kitchen chuckled and inclined her head. Movement in the corner of her eye caught Toshiko's attention before realizing all three women were inclining their heads with the same grin and chuckle.

"What's going on?" Toshiko demanded with meek force.

"Eat first. You will need your energy," the woman on the couch spoke up.

"We won't have time," the woman in the corner repeated herself. Toshiko turned toward her.

"Isn't that right, Toshiko?" another voice spoke as another woman appeared at the door. Toshiko stood flushed to the wall feeling overwhelmed. Both hands covered her mouth as she felt them multiplying and closing in on her.

"You're just going to run again, am I right," the woman in the corner stated as if already knowing the answer. Toshiko looked at each of the women.

"Who are you?" All four women grinned. Fingers curled around Toshiko's shoulders.

"Call me Eve," a voice whispered in her ear. Toshiko screamed. They all spoke creating a chorus reply. Toshiko shoved herself away from the new creature behind her. She tripped and curled up against the counter on the cold floor. Her eyes darted between each identical face in fright. The television turned off and the watcher stood up. He turned but did not look up.

Toshiko paled as Owen scraped the last of his breakfast off his plate and into his mouth before walking pass each of the women as if not seeing them.

"Owen..." Toshiko whispered, half heartedly trying to gain his attention. Owen put his plate in the sink and grabbed his coat off the couch. Toshiko glanced at the women. They were all focused on him, watching him leave. Toshiko bit her lip then scrambled to her feet as fast as she could.

"OWEN!" she screamed. Owen turned to her and for a split second it was as if they could see each other. Toshiko inhaled sharply before Owen disappeared suddenly and all she could see was the dank ceiling of the vault. Her breathing was erratic.

"Tosh? Tosh, are you ok?" Ianto asked. He looked back toward the main hub considering getting help. His hand gripped her sweaty palm as he helped her sit up. Toshiko chuckled and squeezed Ianto's hand. She nodded slowly.

"I'm good," she whispered in a shaky voice. Ianto stared down at her unsure of what to do but she smiled and gripped his hand harder. "I'm fine. I'm fine..." She pressed her free hand to her mouth as silent tears trickled down her face.

* * *

Owen paused and stared at the hallway. He thought he heard someone call his name. It was quiet outside of the quiet hum of the appliances. He chuckled to himself before grabbing his keys and heading out.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack leaned back in his chair as he grinned smugly toward Gwen.

"Everything looks fine now to me," he stated as he sipped his tea. Gwen glowered in his direction but kept silent. He was right...everything looked fine but she didn't believe for a second that everything was as it seemed.

Toshiko was unaware of the pair watching her as she absorbed herself into her work. One more hour. Sixty Minutes.

Ianto was not behaving as collected as Toshiko. He was forgetting the minute details that he prided himself on and it was driving him mad. He glanced at his watch again. One more hour.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Toshiko asked as she sat on the medical chair and checked all the cords and machines Ianto insisted having this time around. Ianto sat beside her frowning as he prepared the shot.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he asked and added a forced grin. Toshiko looked down to her hands.

"Ianto...we're friends, right?" she whispered. Ianto glanced at her.

"We were last time I checked." Toshiko smiled.

"Then tell me what you're thinking." She looked up at him, her fingers interlaced tightly in her lap.

"I—"

"Please...it's making me feel sick to my stomach having you look at me like that," she insisted. Ianto sighed and put the needle down.

"This is not real, Toshiko. We're inducing a dream state; it isn't real. Owen is dead." Toshiko swallowed hard as she lowered her gaze again. "But you're not. Stop doing this to yourself. It's not him...Even if it was...do you really remember how he was? He was far from prince charming."

Toshiko did not reply. He was right; she could not dispute what he was saying. But...

"I have to make sure..." she whispered.

"Sure of what? What is there to make sure of?"

"That he's alright!"

"Why? It isn't real!" Toshiko covered her face.

"I don't know! I don't know..." Toshiko wiped her face and sat back against the chair. Her eyes rapidly searched the ceiling before closing her eyes. "Do it." Ianto shook his head.

"No." Toshiko bit her lip.

"Do it."

"I won't."

"Ianto, I—" Ianto forcefully pressed the needle into her neck and pulled the trigger. Toshiko's eyes were wide as the liquid coursed through her veins. Ianto threw the needle on the ground and it shattered. He watched as Toshiko's body shuddered a little before her eyes fluttered shut and she grew still. He bit his thumb before sitting down beside her and gripping her hand. He stared at her sleeping face. He hated her for doing this but secretly hating himself for not being able to say no to her. Because deep down inside...if he were in her shoes...he would be doing the same.

* * *

Toshiko jerked up and coughed loudly as something filled her mouth and throat. She gagged but lowered her hand from her mouth as her body stopped shuddering. She paused as blood trickled down her hand. Toshiko rushed to the room's only mirror and stared at herself. Blood coated her lips and stained the front of her shirt at the stomach. She looked at herself in disbelief.

"What..." She licked her lips but coughed as she tasted blood. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and looked around. Same room. It was exactly as it was. The same time of day. The door was cracked just the same as it was last time. Toshiko opened the door and stared down the dark hall.

Owen sat sprawled on the couch. The screen flickered with some movie or show. Toshiko took hesitant steps into the hall before running to the couch. She threw herself before him, pressing her hands to his knees.

"Owen. Owen, do you see me?" she asked as she gripped his knees. Her eyes nervously searched his face as it stayed focus on the screen. Toshiko wiped her eyes before pressing her hands to his face.

"Owen, please," she begged. "Please look at me."

"He can't see you." Toshiko jerked to her feet but tripped over herself and fell back down to the floor. The tall woman from before leaned against the back of the couch on her long arms. She stared down at Toshiko with an unreadable face before looking at Owen as he obliviously continued to watch his show.

"Not a new experience for you, is it?" the woman asked. Toshiko looked up at Owen as he looked over her head to the screen.

"I don't—"

"Yet every time we separated you both, one of you would always come looking for the other. It was quite troublesome." Toshiko looked at the woman, no longer frightened but not emboldened either.

"What are you talking about?" Toshiko whispered. The woman pushed herself up.

"Come with me. You must be hungry." Toshiko watched as the woman entered the kitchen area and pulled a yogurt from the fridge. She placed the carton and a spoon before an empty stool and waited. "Don't worry. It's all pretenses. You can't really eat."

"Why not?"

"You're dead. Humans just find comfort in food. So come. Sit. It'll help." The woman motioned toward her own mouth. "With the bitter taste at least." Toshiko swallowed hard unsure of what to do. "I can bring it—" Toshiko pushed herself to her feet slowly.

"I can walk..." Toshiko looked at Owen before walking to the empty stool. She sat down but looked over her shoulders fearing the other clones.

"It's just me today. Although I must admit we had fun last time. We don't have many people escaping to their own fantasies very often. We all wanted to welcome you back to ours."

"Who...what are you?" The woman sighed with a soft smile.

"I am Eve. We all are Eve." Toshiko hesitantly pulled off the lid of the yogurt. "And you...you both, are Torchwood."

"Is that what this is about?" Eve shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yes and no." Toshiko took a bite of the yogurt and Eve smiled. "I can see why Adam was so taken with you." Toshiko looked up.

"Excuse me?" Eve just smiled. Toshiko continued to eat silently.

"We Eves are just halves of a larger whole. Our cousins are Adam. We both are memory thieves, eaters, manipulators. Adams feed upon the living while Eves delight on the dead. Would you like something else to eat, Toshiko?" Toshiko looked down and was surprised to see that she had finished the carton. Eve smiled. "But in fact we are luckier here. It is calmer...easier. We had no worries about persecution from Torchwood until recently."

"So this is about revenge?" Eve laughed loudly.

"Oh we already did that, love. Believe me..." She reached forward and pushed a strand of hair from Toshiko face. Toshiko slapped her hand away. Eve simply smiled as she returned to leaning against the counter. "We don't want to taste your disgusting memories anymore than we have to."

"Excuse me?"

"Memories...especially those of the deceased, are quite delicious. So full of unfulfilled desires that just lend themselves to the magnificent. Especially when we have no repercussions from reality here. The dead give up their desires so freely and really there is no one to stop us. Making memories is just as fulfilling as taking and erasing them, Miss Sato." Toshiko looked at her unsure of what to say. Eve chuckled.

"But I'm just rambling. Don't you just love talking food? It just overwhelms me at times," Eve stated with a lighthearted laugh.

"What are you doing to these people?"

"Oh nothing to get to worked up for, Miss Sato! We have been doing our job efficiently and completely before even the great Time Lords announced themselves as judges and juries of us all."

"Then what do you want from me?" Toshiko looked over her shoulder. "From Owen."

"To STOP." Eve smiled. "Stop running from us. Stop trying to be resurrected. It was fine when a person resurrected once every thousand years...once a millennia even, but you Torchwood people don't know how to leave well enough alone. It causes so many problems. Remembering memories, returning them, arranging them properly. We feel like Adams, abiding to social norms and a history. We Eves are free spirited. We want to give the people what they want but once they come back from living again..." Eve sighed as she scowled.

"They taste disgusting. Like rotten meat. Or the most beautiful fruit festering with decay on the inside. People aren't meant to be awoken from the dead. Have you no respect for their desires?"

"But we don't have anymore resurrection gloves. We can't bring people back even if wanted to anymore."

"Yet you try. Look at yourself, trying to run around fooling yourself that you can straddle the two worlds like they're your own personal playgrounds. If people had no fear of death they wouldn't try so hard to lead fulfilling lives, my love. They wouldn't have memories to play with, to scramble up in a delicious little omelets of haves and have nots." Toshiko glanced at Owen. Eve tilted her head and smiled. "Not that you would understand that notion." Toshiko looked back at her. Eve smiled and touched Toshiko's lips with her finger. "Did you know you're cute when you have that hurt expression? Maybe that's why he preferred to keep you at a distance." Toshiko pushed herself to her feet and away from Eve.

"You can't tell me what I can and cannot do," Toshiko insisted and walked back to Owen. She touched his cheek gently.

"Then leave, Miss Sato. Go back to that fantasy you've created." Eve frowned. "But it's not real. Those people...your friends, they're still living and you're rotting in the ground. So run. Entertain yourself. But we'll find you eventually. We'll find you until you just accept death for what it is." Eve threw the carton in the trash with a loud bang. "Also, Owen Harper stays here. In all honesty I thought he was going to be our problem one. I had no idea it was you who wanted to go back to living so badly. Back to your miserable life."

"It wasn't miserable! It wasn't..."

"Darling, you're not even convincing yourself."

"What can I do to bring him back with me?

"Nothing."

"He doesn't deserve this! He has so much potential to help people instead of sitting around watching some stupid show all day!" Eve chuckled and Toshiko glared at her. "WHAT! What is so funny?"

"Owen has finally accepted death. Don't you see that beautiful face enjoying the comforts of his death? It's you who can't go on without him. Too scared to move on." Eve chuckled and watched as Toshiko stared at Owen while he stared through her at the television.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Death is just this," Eve stated as he looked around. "Comfort...That world you created...are you even happy there?" Toshiko didn't reply. "Come stay with us. Don't be afraid." Toshiko stared at Owen as she thought over Eve's offer.

"I can't." She looked at Eve and closed her eyes imagining someone...anyone wanting her. Missing her.

"Tosh." Toshiko opened her eyes. Eve was gone and so was the apartment. She was in the Hub again. Not in the lab or with Ianto but before her desk. In her chair sat Jack Harkness.


	12. Chapter 12

"Jack?" Toshiko asked. "Is that really you?"

"Who else would it be?" Jack teased and leaned back proudly. Toshiko looked hesitantly around. Something didn't feel right. "Don't worry. It's just me." He looked at his watch. "For another ten minutes, at least, or until they get that pipe out of my skull. That's going to hurt. I know it."

Toshiko stepped forward, still looking around.

"I'm glad I could pull you in for a bit. Usually I have a hard time finding people to chat with. They run away." Toshiko stared at him then smiled. Jack had a way of rambling that rarely made sense but she could sympathize.

"What are you doing here, Jack?"

"I'm dead. This is the only place the Eves will let me hang out. They say I poison their food." Toshiko laughed.

"So even in death you're in the Hub?" Jack considered this for a moment then chuckled.

"Well sometimes I'm in a jar." Toshiko stopped laughing and didn't know if Jack was joking or not. "So what are you doing around here? I tried getting Owen a couple times but nothing."

"I..." Toshiko looked around, "I don't know. I was with Owen a moment ago..." She trailed off.

"How's he doing?" Toshiko kept her eyes diverted.

"Fine."

"Toshiko." She glanced up. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. Considering I'm dead. I have nothing to play with. No computers or alien tech." Jack stood up and looked around. The place looked exactly like the Hub...this was Jack's realm. Why would he be looking around? Toshiko followed his gaze around the false world. "It's everything I wanted but I'm unhappy."

"So you had the perfect situation already?"

"Yes..." Toshiko sighed.

"And the worst one?" Toshiko chuckled.

"I was Owen's institutionalized wife." Jack made a face.

"Yeah...that's pretty bad." Jack walked to her with purposeful steps then leaned against the railing. "Then what was wrong with them?"

"They weren't real." She looked at him and gave a sad smile. "I had everything I wanted and it wasn't satisfying. I didn't remember doing the little things that led to these moments where I was supposed to be happy. Everyone just kept telling me...feel happy. This is happiness. But it was empty."

Jack smiled and gave her hair a little ruffle then rested his hand in hers.

"Oh Tosh, you always were a tough girl to please." Toshiko laughed and grinned at Jack. He squeezed her hand then winced.

"What? What's wrong?" Toshiko asked, worried.

"They're trying to get that damn pipe out of my head by jiggling. It's not a locked door handle!"

"I guess this is goodbye...?" Jack stood up and hugged her tight.

"Not just yet. I know I get busy, Gwen is pretty demanding and Ianto is..." Jack trailed off with a lecherous look on his face. Toshiko laughed and smacked him lightly on the arm.

"You're too old to be looking like that." Jack laughed.

"You're never too old to fall in love." Toshiko just smiled mournfully. "Tosh, you think too much." Toshiko chuckled but her face was still sad.

"Yeah?"

"Things will work out. You know this place is full of cute dead guys. I'm sure you can find one...it doesn't have to be Owen." Toshiko nodded.

"I know..." Jack wasn't completely pleased with her reaction but hugged her, thinking silently to himself.

"I won't forget you, Tosh." Toshiko chuckled and closed her eyes. Through his thick coat jacket she could the faint tap of a heartbeat.

"I'll miss you the most, Jack." He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I'll miss you too. Terribly." Toshiko could feel her eyes weld up with fresh tears. His heartbeat was slowly growing louder against her ear. Jack silently held her. The silence was calming despite their surroundings. They had done so many amazing things together in this Hub. Before Owen. Before Ianto. Before Gwen. Even after. They had wonderful memories. Painful memories but memories. Toshiko cried freely. She accepted this. This was life. They all knew it but it didn't mean she didn't want more. She squeezed Jack tightly before his solid form disappeared leaving her in silence and alone. The familiar room faded away like thinner spilt on paint. All that was left was white. Just her and an endless sea of white.

Toshiko wiped her eyes and let a sob escape. She was dead. She would never be able to fix all the problems or achieve all the goals she had laid out for herself. She sobbed. This was awful. Owen was gone. Jack, Ianto and Gwen were...far, far away. She was so alone.

"Death isn't an end."

Toshiko spun around. Eve sat on a swing. The ground was gaining a grassy color and texture beneath her bare feet. Toshiko looked around her but it remained white.

"That thing in the dark," Eve spoke, "it's us." Eve kicked herself off the ground a little. "The Eves, we're not monsters. We don't go bump in the night. We're barely in the dark ourselves. We're here. In the nothing."

"I don't understand," Toshiko whispered, wiping her tears.

"When people die and all they think is that death cut their lives short, they stay in the dark. They feel us. They sense us." Eve met Toshiko's gaze. "They fear us."

Eve continued to swing and it slowly grew a branch to hang from. From the branch grew a tree.

"We feed on memories but we're not monsters. Death is just another journey. It's not an end." Eve looked around the white room as it gained its color. In the distance the world grew a sky and a city. "And this, Toshiko, is what you need to learn. To let go."

Toshiko looked at Eve. She was an average looking woman with no distinguishing features. Her face was very forgettable. Toshiko could sympathize with that. She felt like she had no distinguishing features or qualities on more days than she would like to admit.

The vibrant colors crippled then cracked to a halting stop. Eve slowed her swing and looked around.

"What is so scary about moving on?"

"I..." Toshiko stopped but Eve did not look away. "I don't want to forget. Owen, Jack any of them."

"Why?"

"They were my life."

"But what if things were different? What if you did everything you put off before because of Owen? Because of Jack Harkness. You told Jack—"

"You were eavesdropping?" Eve shrugged.

"It's a bad habit." She stood up and looked around at the cracked colors. "You said what you have here isn't real. They didn't happen naturally. These grand dreams coming true with no taste of satisfaction. No little moments of triumph. What if you just chased those little moments? Those first kisses and painful rejections. Create new memories rather than living in a life dead and gone..." Eve laughed, "quite literally if you think about it. Forsake nostalgia for a while! It will always be there."

"Jack and Owen. Ianto and Gwen. Torchwood. They will always be there. Memories never fully leave us here. They always threaten to hold us back a little. They're tricky things." Eve chuckled. "But...we can keep playing these games. Memories are memories when they're dinner." She grinned and looked at Toshiko. "It's your call."

Toshiko stared at Eve. She was so unremarkable. Everything had been. Being with Owen on these silly dates and adventures, they were...not what she wanted. Not really. Not completely. They were all so unremarkable...compared to what she did in life. Sure, she didn't accomplish everything she wanted but..

Toshiko blinked and looked back at Eve. Toshiko frowned. She looked different. Her eyes were smaller than she remembered and her nose a bit bigger.

"What's going on?" Toshiko asked.

"You're forgetting me as Eve." Eve looked around at the cracking color as it smoothed out. She turned back to Toshiko. She looked different. Memorable almost. Wavy hair. Would you call that color brown? Maybe still black.

"Is this like before? Am I running away again?" Toshiko whispered. She didn't feel like she was running.

"No...not like before." Toshiko closed her eyes.

Things would be different.


	13. Epilogue

I know some of you have waited a very long time for this update and I thank you for your faith in me and I hope this lived up to your expectations.

Epilogue

* * *

"Toshiko. Tosh." Toshiko woke up then cringed. Her head felt like she had gotten hit in the back of the head with a cricket bat.

"Mmm," she groaned. "Sorry. I have a killer headache."

"I bet. You hit your head pretty hard when you fell. Up you go." Owen pulled her to her feet. He was checking her eyes then brushed her hair from her head and smiled. "Watch where you step next time." He grinned.

They were at his hospital. Toshiko's hands gripping tightly onto Owen's arms. She eyed him in his white coat. The curl of the stitching on his name badge. Where... The noticing the blinking laptop screen and remembering what she had been working on.

"Owen?" He smiled.

"Yeah, love?"

"Stop disabling the firewall on your computer or I'll stop fixing your computer all together," she scolded him. Owen laughed then loosened his hold on her.

"But if I didn't, we couldn't keep meeting like this." Toshiko would have blushed if she hadn't heard it many times before.

"You could ask me out like a normal person would do!" she snapped. Owen just laughed.

"Well you seem well enough." He brushed her hair again then disappeared around the corner laughing at her. Toshiko followed him with her eyes, glaring then slammed Owen's laptop screen closed.

She knew exactly what he had done; the same thing he did the last time she fixed it. He had turned off the firewall that she had put on it to prevent things like this and had gone looking for porn again. And on a company computer! Probably even at work. She grabbed her small tool case and glanced at the clock. 4:50. Ten minutes until she was off.

"If Doctor Harper asks about the status of his laptop, tell him he can get the viruses off himself. I'm heading home." A few nurses and doctors chuckled. There was rarely a boring moment when Doctor Harper and Ms. Sato were working. Toshiko turned to leave in a frustrated huff when she nearly fell over a cheerful looking man in a thick military coat.

"Sorry, Miss," he apologized with an American accent. Toshiko smiled professionally.

"No...it was my fault. Excuse me." She tried to side step him but he stepped to the side to block her way.

"I'm looking for Doctor Owen Harper. Know him?" Toshiko sighed heavily.

"You just missed him. Ask one of the girls at the desk." Toshiko pointed to the reception desk. The American smiled.

"You a friend of his?" Toshiko was taken aback by his direct question.

"Never," Toshiko insisted and pushed past. What a brazen question! Her face felt a little red.

"What have I told you about wandering out of your designated area? You're tainting everything!" a familiar female's voice snapped angrily behind Toshiko. She heard the American laugh.

"I couldn't help myself. I just get so excited!"

"Tsk! Get back now!" Toshiko glanced back but the American had vanished. Toshiko glanced at her watch. Six minutes. She was so ready to go home.

Toshiko quickly dropped her things at her office and collected what she needed to go home. She was halfway out of the office when she heard her name. She turned.

"Hey," Owen greeted as he jogged up to her door. Toshiko looked unamused.

"I'm off."

"Obviously," Owen teased and grinned. "So my laptop..."

"Is disgusting. I really should just report you."

"You think you could come over and take another look? My place? Tonight around seven?"

"No way."

"But you know it would be fun."

"I'm not going on a date with you," Toshiko chuckled. She lowered her head and shook it at his audacity.

"See you keep saying that but I remember quite clearly the last company party." Owen grinned as Toshiko blushed.

"You must really be desperate if you need to bring up drunken mistakes from over two months ago," she muttered toward the ground.

"Or I really want to see your moves when you haven't had a few too many cocktails." Toshiko's head jerked up. Owen laughed.

"I'm going." Owen laughed but grabbed her arm before she could fully escape. Toshiko looked at him and sighed.

"Hey, hey, hey. It was a joke." Toshiko stayed silent. "Ok. One date. Perfect gentleman. Promise."

"No. Not until you stop disabling your firewall." Owen chuckled.

"But then how are we going to keep meeting?"

"Be more creative?" Owen smiled. The hand on her arm rubbed her skin affectionately.

"So does that mean a date in the near future?" Toshiko chuckled and shook her head.

"No." Toshiko pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow." Toshiko turned to leave when Owen grabbed her arm. "Wha—"

Owen kissed her. Toshiko rested her hand against his arm as she returned it. It wasn't their first kiss. Or even their fifth. Nor was it their last. Toshiko leaned into Owen, remembering some of their more memorable moments, relishing in them— at the same time, feeling like she was forgetting something...just out of her memory's reach. She could hear a few giggles and groans as people passed.

"Owen...people—" Toshiko was cut off as she felt herself being pushed back into her office. The door barely clicked shut when she felt his hand hitch up her skirt. She gripped his shoulders as he pushed her against the closed door. Their bodies rubbing against each other, not quite getting the purchase they were aiming for.

"Tosh," Owen muttered into her neck and hair, his hand tugging and tangling into her unraveling ponytail.

Then the loud buzzing of Owen's pager filled the empty office. Owen groaned and pushed further into her.

"Owen, your..." She broke off the kiss and pushed him back. Owen leaned his head against the door beside Toshiko's shoulder as he dug in his pocket for his pager. Toshiko chuckled as she felt his ragged breath against her skin.

"I'm going to kill Andrews one of these days," Owen muttered to himself, turning the pager off. He looked at Toshiko. Their faces were inches away. "So...that date." Toshiko laughed and rested her head against the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Owen." Owen grinned and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I'm going to make you a proper woman one day," he laughed in her ear.

"All you do is promise," she retorted and pushed Owen back. Owen watched her openly as she retied her hair and straightened her clothes. Toshiko looked at him then pointed at his lips. "You have a little bit of my—"

"Eh," he shrugged. Toshiko shook her head. He was such a smug bastard. "I better get back... Next time." He kissed her cheek and opened the door, still looking disheveled. "By the way," he paused and turned back to her. "Don't forget about my laptop," he teased and headed back out.

Toshiko watched him leave. She couldn't cover the grin on her face. She chuckled to herself. They were being foolish. She knew it. He knew it. But neither cared. It was their game. Almost two years and it showed no signs of stopping. Maybe they would get serious, maybe in the near future they would have to but right now... Toshiko felt her heart racing just thinking of how to get even. Right now it was just a playful moment. Something small that made her feel more alive than any big events that waited down the line. Just for a moment, it felt like time stopped.


End file.
